Prangley Hands Jardine 5th Straight Loss

AMARILLO, Texas -- Trevor
Prangley spoiled Keith
Jardine’s valiant attempt to put the brakes on a five-fight
losing streak with a spilt decision win over the Jackson’s Mixed
Martial Arts veteran in the Shark
Fights 13 main event on Saturday at the Amarillo Civic Center
Coliseum.

The veterans -- both in need of good showings for the higher
promotions -- clinched early into the first round. Prangley landed
head and body knees, as well as a short right hook to soften
Jardine before they scrambled onto the canvas. Jardine locked in a
tight armbar, but the South African Olympic wrestling alternate
managed to free himself. In side control, Prangley tried to target
elbows on a cut over Jardine’s left eye. Jardine, who suffered two
knockouts in his last three outings before the UFC released him,
made it to his feet and landed a flush right to get back in the
game.

The second round played out on its feet, as both began to show
signs of fatigue. Halfway through, Prangley dropped Jardine with a
right, smelled blood and went in for the kill. However, Jardine was
not ready to call it quits and returned to his feet.

Jardine began to work in his kicks in the final round, as the crowd
chanted for “The Ultimate Fighter 2” veteran to rise to the
occasion. Jardine connected with a stinging right in the final
minute and then another, but as he has proved in the past, the
American Kickboxing Academy-based Prangley was just too durable a
fighter to finish.

For the 34-year-old Jardine, exiting the cage with his fifth defeat
in a row will give him much to think about.

Sokoudjou, a 2001 U.S. Open judo champion, dropped Alexander with a
stiff left two minutes into a furiously paced first round and
battered the Nebraska father of six with follow-up shots as
Alexander dangled from his leg fighting for a takedown. From there,
Houston had a problem.

Sokuoudjou stayed on a wobbly Alexander as he tried to get his feet
back underneath him, almost floored him again and then took him
down into side control. In a desperate push, Alexander managed a
reversal and landed a handful of labored single shots in the last
30 seconds.

The second round could not have gone more differently. The
38-year-old Alexander came out of his corner a man on a mission,
pumping his jab and crumpling Sokoudjou into a heap on the fence.
Referee Steve Armstrong let Alexander unleash compounding shots one
after the other as the Cameroon native sat there helpless.
Armstrong also missed Sokoudjou tapping out on Alexander’s leg in a
desperate cry for mercy before he finally reached in to halt the
massacre. It took Sokoudjou, flagged by medical staff, a few
minutes to rise from the canvas.

UFC Exile Daley Tops Masvidal

Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Daley (right) vs.
Masvidal.

British striker Paul Daley’s
fast hands delivered him a unanimous decision victory over Jorge
Masvidal in a much-anticipated welterweight bout. Scores were
30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.

Daley, who was exiled from the UFC after landing a post-fight punch
on Josh
Koscheck in May, kept Masvidal on his heels for much of the
first round with jabs, straights and a rare Capoeira-style body
kick. Masvidal shot for his first takedown attempt with
two-and-a-half minutes left on the clock. He managed the Team Rough
House fighter to his back a minute later, but Daley averted damage
by sucking his American Top Team opponent in close until he could
make it to his feet.

Masvidal found the takedown quicker in the second round and then
scored another shortly after Daley wall-walked to his feet. The
takedowns did their job, as they slowed down the light-footed Daley
and made him susceptible to a third grounding that earned Masvidal
the second round on two scorecards.

The crowd’s hope for a crushing knockout from Daley began to fade
as Masvidal started the final round with crisp jab before grounding
Daley again with a single-leg takedown. Daley’s eyes often rose to
the fight clock, as he head hunted the finish expected of him. He
got close with two last-minute flurries on a grounded Masvidal.
However, in the end, the only heightened drama the 27-year-old
Daley brought to Texas was his inability to make weight the day
before.

For his second straight appearance, Villasenor found himself
exactly where he did not want to be -- neutralized on his back,
fending off the threat of a head-and-arm choke and other submission
attempts from the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. The Greg
Jackson-trained fighter escaped to his feet with 35 seconds
remaining on the first-round clock but could only muster his own
takedown on Villefort’s poorly executed shot.

In the second round, Villefort connected with a right hook that
sent Villasenor reeling backwards and lit a fire under the pair
once the New Mexico striker rose. Both men committed to a heated
exchange, which the Brazilian followed with a takedown, but the
action stalled there.

Villasenor poured on lefts and rights in the final round, but the
American Top Team-based Villefort more than held his own on defense
and returned fire. Villasenor then prompted the battle to the mat
and held top position for a spell until Villefort maneuvered to
back control and briefly to mount, cinching his third victory in a
row.

Saffiedine Decisions Larson

Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Saffiedine (right) vs.
Larson.

Tarec
Saffiedine outstruck UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting veteran
Brock
Larson for a unanimous decision victory -- 30-27 on all cards
-- in their welterweight bout. The Belgium-born sharpshooter, on
loan from Strikeforce, continued to unveil an impressive stand-up
arsenal, as well as quick footwork and head movement that kept him
out of harm’s way.

After a minute-long feeling-out period, Larson shot out of the gate
with punches and was dropped by a side-stepping Saffiedine’s first
strike. It was a sign of what was to come.

Larson later opted for a single-leg takedown attempt, but he could
not fight Saffidiene’s superior balance.

The Minnesota wrestler switched to a leglock attempt, then tried a
kimura when Saffiedine advanced into his half guard.

On his feet, Larson landed a whopping hook, only to receive an even
harder one from his opponent. As Saffidiene’s punches began to find
their home more frequently in the second and third rounds, Larson
changed tactics and tried to stall the Team Quest Temecula fighter
on the fence.

In the final moments, Saffiedine gained top position when a
scramble spilled to the canvas and peppered Larson with shots to
finish strong for his third consecutive victory.

In the night’s only championship bout, Ronnie Mann
eked out a split decision against Douglas
Evans in his second featherweight title defense, with 47-48,
48-47 and 48-47 scores.

U.K. prospect Mann scored throughout a competitive five rounds with
combinations, low kicks and even a flying knee, while Evans
countered with takedowns at key moments to break up the Brit’s
rhythm.

Evans kept the pressure on his rapid-fire opponent into the final
round and landed a clean takedown at the closing bell, but it was
not enough to deny the quickly improving 23-year-old Mann his first
victory of 2010 -- one that also delivered him a championship.